Medical alert jewelry: the right medical ID for your budget

3: Your Budget

You can spend about as much as you choose on medical alert jewelry. Fortunately, however, medical ID jewelry needn't be expensive to be effective. Before you shell out hundreds of dollars for a solid gold engraved medical emblem, make sure the value is there.

Up front costs A stainless-steel medical ID bracelet offers as much protection as one made from 22 karat gold. And a quality gold-plated medical bracelet will not only protect as well as solid gold--it will likely look just as fabulous.

Hidden costs Well-made medical alert jewelry lasts a long while. People change, though. That expensive engraved medical alert identification tag can become instantly obsolete when your medications shift or you develop a new medical condition.

Being able to update your medical jewelry information yourself is a wonderful convenience. Not only does it save money and aggravation, it also reduces the chances that you'll continue wearing an outdated and misleading medical ID--and if the information it provides is inaccurate, how helpful will the medical alert jewelry be?